Chapter 9: A Shared Sandwich and a Heavy Truth

The sandwich shop was spacious and clean. Normally, places near schools are packed with students, but since we left early, it was blissfully empty. I sighed nostalgically.

“Been a while.”

“You came here often?” Do Yoon asked.

“Oh, yeah, tons. Years ago, I’d stay up all night shoot—”

I clamped my mouth shut, nearly saying “shooting.” Sure enough, Do Yoon was staring at me with those intense eyes. I coughed loudly and corrected myself.

“Ahem, studying. Ate here sometimes. They’ve got these all over the States.”

But he still eyed me suspiciously. Was it weird that I studied late or that I ate at Busway? Maybe both. Fearing he’d dig into my past, I quickly changed the subject.

“What do you like? Sit, I’ll order.”

“…I’ve never been here, so I don’t know.”

Right.

Makes sense. Even regulars stick to their usual orders here—the menu’s tricky. But I’m a sandwich-ordering pro after years of practice.

“Anything you can’t eat?”

“Nope.”

“Cool, I’ll pick something foolproof for a newbie. Trust me.”

I strode to the counter and ordered my go-to: a 30cm turkey ham sub, loaded with all the veggies, ranch, and sweet onion sauce. It’s a crowd-pleaser. I watched the staff’s mechanical movements and hesitated.

‘It’s not mealtime yet, so maybe one big sub to split…’

But that might make Do Yoon think I’m acting too chummy. After some thought, I added a 30cm steak and cheese sub with just lettuce for simplicity.

With no crowd, the food came out fast. I carried the tray—four 15cm sub pieces and two colas—back to Do Yoon. He looked conflicted, his expression still clouded even as I set the food down.

“You’re really eating,” he said.

What, like I’d fake it?

He reached for a sandwich with a dazed look. I panicked.

“No, wait! Not that one.”

“Huh?”

I quickly swapped his sandwich.

“Try this first. It’s my old favorite—super good.”

I pushed the turkey ham toward him. He frowned slightly.

“Didn’t you order the same thing?”

“Nah, I got a different one. Ordering two of the same feels like a waste, right?”

He looked baffled, then let out a hollow laugh.

“It’s weird hearing you say that.”

I tensed. Did the original Seung Hyun once yell at him for obsessing over different flavors as “commoner behavior”? But Do Yoon said nothing more. I explained, trying to sound natural.

“I got them cut in half so we can swap if you want. They’re about the same price, so it’s efficient. If you love yours, you can have both. I like this one too. I’ve had it a ton, and it’s always great.”

He didn’t respond, just started eating. Probably his way of saying, “Shut up already.”

A bit embarrassed, I quietly bit into my sandwich. Man, it’s good after so long…

For a while, the only sound was the crisp crunch of lettuce. Sneaking a glance while sipping my cola, Do Yoon didn’t seem displeased. Must taste decent. Pleased with my choice, I gathered the courage to speak.

“That guy, Won Cheol or whatever. That wasn’t his first time picking a fight, was it?”

“…No.”

As expected.

“Always like that? Bringing up your mom?”

“That was the first time today.”

I nodded. That’s why he snapped. Then Do Yoon looked down and added.

“Before, it was bearable. I didn’t want to tell anyone.”

“Why?”

I asked reflexively and instantly regretted it. Of course—he had no one in the Haewon family to confide in. They didn’t care about him.

Even Father, who brought him in, only valued his intelligence, not his school life. If Do Yoon mentioned being bullied, he’d probably call it a family disgrace.

Do Yoon continued silently.

“But hearing him badmouth my mom… I couldn’t take it. Even if she wasn’t a saint.”

He chugged his cola through a straw, throat bobbing.

Mine did too. Damn, I should’ve picked a porridge place… Since the topic was out, I took a deep breath and asked.

“Did he ever hit you?”

Do Yoon set down his sandwich. After a pause, he nodded.

I nearly leapt up to storm back and beat that punk myself. How dare he touch our protagonist? I should’ve roughed him up more. But Do Yoon seemed so calm, I couldn’t just explode.

And isn’t this partly my fault from the past? I asked in a low voice.

“Where? Did you see a doctor?”

“It wasn’t bad. Just my arm or something.”

Suddenly, I remembered grabbing his wrist a few days ago and him wincing as he shook me off. Maybe I’m overthinking, but… what if that’s where he was hit? With a stick or something? While defending himself?

My mind raced with violent scenes I hadn’t witnessed. I gritted my teeth. This guy can’t be left alone.

Do Yoon noticed my grim expression and added lightly.

“It’s fine. I didn’t just take it.”

I hoped that was true, but I doubted it. I pressed.

“Then why… didn’t you say anything in the principal’s office?”

If he’d told the teachers, this could’ve been resolved faster, maybe without guardians involved. He clammed up, hesitating before speaking softly.

“…I didn’t expect you to show up.”

What? I stared at him blankly. He avoided my gaze.

Then it hit me like a bolt. I asked cautiously.

“Did you… not say anything because of me?”

After a pause, he replied quietly.

“…I thought you’d mock me. About my mom.”

Ugh!

Guilt stabbed me relentlessly. My palms grew sweaty. The original Seung Hyun’s first words to Do Yoon were “bastard of a mistress.” No wonder. Cold sweat trickled down my back.

Is this… okay? The more I thought, the more unfixable his past cruelties seemed. Why not send me back to before they met? Hurting him like that and now trying to befriend him…

I’d been smug about meeting him young, thinking it’d be easier. What a joke. This is like a game on nightmare mode. Wounds from childhood last a lifetime.

Realizing Do Yoon was sitting here eating with me was an act of incredible mercy. I wouldn’t even deal with someone like me, but our protagonist, maybe because he’s young, was genuinely kind.

I bit my lip a few times before speaking.

“I’m sorry… for making you think that.”

A thousand excuses formed and faded in my mouth. My emotions were a tangled mess, like knotted wires. I felt awful for Do Yoon, scared our relationship wouldn’t progress and I’d face the novel’s grim ending, but above all, I didn’t want this kid to hurt anymore.